title: Appendectomy during pregnancy--is pregnancy outcome depending by operation technique?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare perioperative and pregnancy outcome between women undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy and those undergoing open appendectomy during pregnancy for presumed acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study of all women undergoing appendectomy during pregnancy in a tertiary referral medical center from 2000 to 2009. Outcome was compared between those undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy and those undergoing open appendectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 83,510 deliveries occurred during the study period, 85 (0.10%) were eligible for the study group. Of these, 26 (31%) had a laparoscopic appendectomy and 59 (69%) had an open appendectomy. No significant difference was found in the general, delivery and neonatal outcome characteristics between the two groups. There was a significant difference in the mean gestational age at surgery between laparoscopic appendectomy and the open appendectomy groups (14.6 versus 19.3 weeks respectively, p = 0.009). Post-operative complications (fever >38.0 °C or the presence of uterine contractions) rate was higher in the open appendectomy compared to the laparoscopic appendectomy group (25.5% versus 3.8%, respectively, p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic appendectomy appears to be a safe procedure for presumed acute appendicitis during pregnancy with less post-operative complications as compared to open appendectomy.
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center , Petach Tikva , Israel and.
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peled
authors.forename: Liran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hiersch
authors.forename: Ortal
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Khalpari
authors.forename: Arnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiznitzer
authors.forename: Yariv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yogev
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pardo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010535:Laparoscopy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome